Response from State not good for our Anzac Memorial Mango Trees

The State Government’s Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure & Planning (DSDMIP), responded to the Mango Hill Progress Association (MHPA) with a change in the Anzac Ave Intersection to the proposed residential estate.

DSDMIP have replaced the former Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning (DILGP), which was the department that ran the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA). SARA coordinate code assessment procedures required by the different State Government departments, where instigated by council’s referal triggers.

It appears for this Development Application (DA), the intersection will have to move because the Developer was denied any initial back entrance into their estate, (due to access to Mango Hill Boulevard via proposed MBRC roads, not being guaranteed because BGM Projects don’t own any of that land).

With the Anzac Ave entrance now the only way to access the estate, the entrance design had to change from the previous left in/left out entrance to a safer signalised intersection, also servicing the entrance and exit to the other side of Anzac Ave.

In the DSDMIP letter, they said the only location they will support for this type of intersection, would be at 1823 Anzac Ave, (where the current Nuway Landscaping yard entrance is), where the current break in the island is. See the photo we took of the proposed design here:

As you can see from the proposed design it will mean at least 8 Anzac Memorial Mango Trees are still endangered, with a possible 6 more on the island, to create (from what we can tell from the design) a proper cement island leading up the intersection.

Laurence Christie, President of the MHPA, responded favourably to the design change saying “The Mango Hill Progress Association has achieved an interim victory in seeking to limit the loss of Mango trees along Anzac Ave with a decision by the Qld Department of State Development, to not approve the original location of an access road onto Anzac Ave.”

He continued with:

Whilst any further incursion onto Anzac Ave is not ideal, the Progress Association accepts:

that there must be an access road onto Anzac Ave and this is the best location.

Some further trees may be lost.

However, as was our recommendation back in 1996 with the duplication of Anzac Ave and the formation of the current “U-turn facility” at this location, the Association will advocate strongly for “relocation” of as many trees as possible to the western side of Anzac Ave. (in 1996, 6 trees were successfully transplanted and continue to grow on western side of Anzac Ave).

My K-Town 4503 are still waiting for a response back from DSDMIP about their plans for the trees.

When Moreton Bay Regional Council (MBRC) originally referred to SARA, to assess the State interests in the DA, the Council raised two assessment triggers. Both of which relate to the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) area, with no Heritage assessment trigger raised by MBRC. Thus it only seems natural that SARA’s priority was to see a safe intersection used in the DA.

However the DSDMIP letter accompanying the design sent to MHPA, said it was designed in consultation with the Department of Environment & Science (DES) as well, (whom have replaced the old Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) as custodians for heritage matters).

If this intersection is allowed with the destruction of those trees, it will threaten the whole Qld Heritage Place of Anzac Memorial Avenue. Which contravenes the Queensland Heritage Act.

Something to note, the location that SARA has said the new entrance to the estate needs to be (where the landscaping yard is), is not actually owned by the Developer!

So in their current site design, the Developer has now lost both front and back entrance options, and is dependent on land owned by others to access their site.

Here is the Figure from the MBRC Planning Scheme (page 4090 in section in 9.4.1.6.4.Urban neighbourhood Precinct), modified by us, showing MBRC’s proposed future roads in purple (not available to this developer, because he doesn’t own any of the land), the actual land owned by the Developer (blue stripes), and the location of the access road off Anzac Ave that state will allow.

What a shamozzle!

The Council need to stop this, and seriously address their faulty plan for this Next Generation and Urban Neighbourhood section, to have a realistic Road Hierarchy plan for developers to work with. One that:

takes majority of traffic out the back or northern side, utilising the existing road infrastructures of Mango Hill Boulevard, Halpine Drive and Kinsella’s Rd East,

that works around the Heritage listed Anzac Memorial Trees, and

doesn’t impede the already busy Anzac Ave traffic, with another set of traffic lights in a short distance.

Current MBRC Planning Scheme Road Overlay showing both the proposed road entrances that are now reject.